India reopens Taj Mahal after six months

India has reopened the Taj Mahal after six months. Visitors will have their temperatures taken and must adhere to advice to keep a safe distance from each other.

Workers at the Taj were sanitizing the handrails while paramilitary police shouted at tourists not to touch any of the surfaces, Reuters reported.

“We are following all COVID-19 protocols,” said Vasant Swarnkar, superintendent of the Archaeological Survey of India, which oversees the Taj among other monuments.

The white marble tomb in the city of Agra was opened to the public at sunrise, and a Chinese national and a visitor from Delhi were among the first to enter.

Daily visitor numbers have been capped at 5,000, versus an average of 20,000 before the pandemic. Tickets are only being sold online, with fewer than 300 bought on the first day.